Key holding device



p 1957 A. MARTINUZZI 2,805,566

KEY HOLDING DEVICE Filed July 21, 1953 INVENTOR. ALBIHO MARTINUZZ-I United State s Patent KEY HOLDING DEVICE Albino Martinuzzl, Milan, Italy Application July 21, 1953, Serial No. 369,318

Claims priority, application Italy August 8, 1952 2 Claims. (Cl. 70-456) This invention relates to key holding devices and the like and has for an important object thereof the provision of a device for this purpose which may firmly hold a large number of keys and otherfsmall objects. Apparatus embodying the present invention also permits any key held thereby to be easily operated by properly handling and rotating the same without interference from the other keys held by same device.

Most conventional key holding devices actually manufactured and on sale are constructed in the form of a ring shaped member having an interrupted portion and provided with means for closing said, portion upon insertion of keys into said member. These conventional key holding rings are subject to the common objection that as one key connected thereto is rotated in its lock, the ring and all other keys connected thereto are compelled to rotate therewith, thus'making the handling of the key uncomfortable.

Other conventional key holding devices include a small bar shaped member on which a plurality of hooking means are pivotally and rotatably connected in relatively spaced relationship, the bar shaped member being supported in most cases in an envelope-shaped case, near one edge thereof. The keys remain within the case when not in use, particularly during pocketing of the article. In these forms the devices only hold a few keys, and require opening and closing of the case when use of any one key is desired.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a simplified construction which may be readily manufactured on standard machine shop equipment, thus re ducing the cost of manufacture.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a construction which will retain a selected ornament and/or means for actuating a roulette type game against accidental detachment or separation, while permitting ready mounting of the selected ornament thereon.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, my invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section of the device of the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of same article, taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and wherein the arrows heading said line indicate the directions in which portions in Fig. l are shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings: the novel key holding device comprises a central body formed by the combination of two disk shaped members or identical discs 1 and 2, in co-axial and spaced relationship, made integral with a connecting member 3. The firm connection between said discs 1 and 2 and said connecting member 3 may be attained for example by riveting the outer end portions 4 and 5 of said connecting member 3 about and against the inner edge of said disk shaped members 1 and 2, respectively, the said members being in such case made in annular flat form.

The said disk shaped members 1 and 2 are provided with an outer axially extended portion or flange 6 and 7, respectively, so that an annular slot extending all about the said central body is formed therebetween. Through said slot the stern portions of a plurality of linking means such as cotter pins having annular heads or outer portions 8 freely pass, the said stem portions being connected to anchoring members or sleeves 9, which are so dimensioned that said sleeves 9 loosely fit for free rotation and peripheral movement in the channel defined between said disk shaped members 1 and 2 but so that they cannot pass through said slot formed between the outer portions or flanges 6 and 7.

To the outer portion 8 of each said linking members a conventional hooking member 10 is pivotally connected, any one of said hooking members serving as an attaching device for one key, or other small pocketable article, as a penknife, for example.

Further, notwithstanding that in actual construction the device according to this invention will be preferably made in form of a relatively small article of manufacture (the central body might for example have a diameter dimension of one inch), and that a large number of hooking members 10 might be provided therewith, e. g. ten hooking members, the total displacement of said members and of keys and other articles fastened thereto takes up far less than the whole periphery of said central body.

Consequently while one key or other article fastened to member 10 may be rotated and/or moved in any direction (as indicated by arrows C and D in Fig. 2, for example) for handling the same, the other keys or articles are freely hanging in a bunch and do not interfere with the locking or other operation to be performed. When it is desired to make use of another key or article, its relative hooking member 10 is moved about said central body, as indicated by arrow A in Fig. l, for separation and positioning in the desired position, while all other articles arrange themselves in a bunch at the lower portion of the device.

In the preferred embodiment shown, the device according to this invention is provided with hooking members 10 of conventional type, having a spring portion 11 to prevent separation of the key or other article hooked thereto. Of course, said hooking members may be substituted by others of different type known to those skilled in the art, provided that said different members are in pivotal connection with their relative linking members.

The appearance of the device constructed according to this invention may be improved by polishing and/or variously decorating the flanks of disk-shaped members 1 and 2, by engraving or by counter-plating the outer surfaces thereof for example. Further, the said enlarged flanges 6 and/ or 7 of members 1 and/ or 2, respectively, may be preferably provided with an out-turned edge 12 into which a cover member 13 of transparent glassy or plastic material may be fixedly encased, forming a closed space 14 thereunder. In said space a small picture or other ornamental or identification elements may be positioned and fully protected, thus giving to the article of manufacture a more personal character.

Still further, the outer surface of the disloshaped member or member covered by said cover member 13 may be provided with :a plurality of hollows 15, marked. by different letters, or numbers, or symbols, and a small ball (not shown) may be provided, the said ball being sized to freely move within said space 14. Owing to said provision the described device maybe used for fortune games of simplified roulette type.

While I have illustrated and described the invention but in one preferred embodiment thereof, I do not intend to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any case from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for holding keys or the like, comprising, in combination, a pair of substantially identical discs respectively formed with central openings passing therethrough, said discs being spaced from and coaxial with respect .to each other and respectively having inner faces directed toward each other and outer faces directed away from each other, each disc having at its outer periphery aflange extending beyond said inner and outer faces thereof and said flanges which extend beyond said inner faces of said discs, respectively, being spaced from each other to define an annular gap between themselves and to define with said inner faces of said discs an inner chamber cornmunicating through said gap with the space around said discs, said outwardly directed flanges respectively defin ing with said outer faces of said discs a pair of outwardly directed recesses; an elongated connecting member formed with an axial bore passing therethrough and having a pair of reduced end portions extending respectively from a pair of annular shoulders of said connecting member which are directed away from each other, said shoulders respectively engaging said inner faces of said discs and said reduced end portions of said connecting member respectively extending through said openings of said discs and having portions located substantially entirely in said recesses and engaging said outer faces of said discs, respectively, so that said connecting member interconnects said discs and has between said shoulders an outer face defining the inner limit of said chamber between said discs; at least one sleeve of an outer diameter greater than the width of said gap located in said chamber and having a frusto-conical end portion adapated to extend partly through said gap; and a cotter pin having a pair of legs extending through said sleeve, said legs respectively having in the interior of said chamber a pair of curved free end portions extending beyond an end of said sleeve distant from said frusto-conical end portion thereof, and said cotter pin having a loop portion extending beyond 4 said gap and said frusto-conical end portion of said sleeve and adapted to carry a key-hook or the like.

2. A device for holding keys or the like, comprising, in combination, a pair of substantially identical discs respectively formed with central openings passing therethrough, said discs being spaced from and coaxial with respect to each other and respectively having inner faces directed toward each other and outer faces directed away from each other, each disc having at its outer periphery a flange extending beyond said inner, and outer faces thereof and said flanges which extend beyond said inner faces of said discs, respectively, being spaced from each other to define an annular gap between themselves and to define with said inner faces of said discs an inner chamber communicating through said gap with the space around said discs, said outwardly directed flanges respectively defining with said outer faces of said discs a pair of outwardly directed recesses; an elongated connecting member formed with an axial bore passing therethrough and having a pair of reduced end portions extending respectively from a pair of annular shoulders of said connecting mom ber which are directed away from each other, said shoulders respectively engaging said inner faces of said discs and said reduced end portions of said connecting member respectively extending through said openings of said discs and having portions located substantially en tirely in said recesses and engaging said outer faces of said discs, respectively, so that said connecting member interconnects said discs and has between said shoulders an outer face defining the inner limit of said chamber between said discs; and at least one linking means having an intermediate portion adapted to freely extend through said gap, an inner portion located within said chamber and dimensioned to be freely movable within said chamber but incapable of passing through said gap, and an outer portion located without said chamber and adapted to carry a key hook or the like.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,822,502 Reiter Sept. 8, 1931 1,948,358 Reil Feb. 20, 1934 2,093,327 Legat Sept. 14, 1937 2,508,024 Hanna May 16, 1950 2,557,970 Jablon June 26, 1951 

